1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a plasma display panel (PDP), and more particularly, to a PDP having address electrodes that may consume less power during address discharge.
2. Description of the Background
A PDP displays images through plasma discharge. That is, applying a voltage between electrodes may generate a gas discharge that emits ultraviolet rays that excite phosphors, thereby displaying images. The PDP may offer many advantages over other display configurations including superior display capacity, brightness, and contrast, as well as a wide viewing angle. Consequently, the PDP is widely popular.
Depending on the arrangement of red (R), green (G), and blue (B) discharge cells, the PDP may be a stripe-type PDP, where the discharge cells are arranged in lines of the same color, or a delta-type PDP, where the discharge cells are grouped into a triangular configuration.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,182,489 (rectangular closed-type barrier ribs), Japanese Laid-Open Patent No. Heisei 6-44907 (hexagonal closed-type barrier ribs), and U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,373,195 and 6,376,986 (linear barrier ribs) disclose delta-type PDPs. U.S. Pat. No. 5,841,232 discloses a stripe-type PDP.
PDPs may be similarly driven, regardless of the type of barrier rib structure utilized. Namely, in stripe-type and delta-type PDPs, address electrodes may be formed on a rear substrate at locations corresponding to each discharge cell, and scan electrodes and sustain electrodes may be formed on a front substrate. Applying an address voltage between the address electrodes and the scan electrodes addresses corresponding discharge cells, and then applying a sustain voltage between the sustain electrodes and the scan electrodes displays images.
Generally, increased capacitance is a common drawback of PDPs. In particular, increasing the PDP's resolution requires more discharge cells. However, more discharge cells reduces a gap between address electrodes, which increases capacitance due to the effect of the gap on power consumption during address discharge. That is, the address electrode gap is inversely proportional to capacitance. An increase in capacitance adversely affects the PDP's operational characteristics. This may be particularly so with the delta-type PDP.
Further, a method of scanning the scan electrodes during the address period may change from a dual scan method (simultaneous scanning of upper and lower regions of the screen) to a single scan method (scanning starting from either the upper or lower region of the screen), which doubles the length of the address electrodes. Consequently, capacitance between address electrodes increases, as does frequency, thereby increasing power consumption. That is, capacitance is proportional to address electrode length, and power consumption is proportional to capacitance and frequency. Hence, increases in address electrode length and frequency may result in greater power consumption.